This invention relates to a waterproof connector provided with plugs serving as liquid intrusion prevention members for preventing a liquid such as water and oil from intruding into terminal receiving chambers through a rear end of a connector housing from which wires, connected respectively to terminals received in the respective terminal receiving chambers, extend outwardly. The invention also relates to this plugs.
There is known a related waterproof connector provided with plugs serving as liquid intrusion prevention members for preventing the intrusion of a liquid such as water and oil. This related waterproof connector includes a connector housing, terminal receiving chambers formed within the connector housing, terminals received respectively in the terminal receiving chambers, wires having their one end portions electrically connected respectively to the terminals and having the other end portions extended outwardly from the connector housing, annular plug receiving chambers formed within the connector housing in surrounding relation respectively to outer peripheral surfaces of the wires and disposed adjacent respectively to the terminal receiving chambers in the longitudinal direction of the wires, annular plugs received respectively in the plug receiving chambers, and a cover attached to the connector housing from a side of the other end portions of the wires and covering the plug receiving chambers. An inner peripheral surface of the plug is held in contact with a part of an outer peripheral surface of the wire over an entire periphery thereof, while an outer peripheral surface of the plug is held in contact with an inner peripheral surface of a peripheral wall of the plug receiving chamber, which forms outline of this plug receiving chamber, over an entire periphery thereof. The plug is made 100 percent of rubber (synthetic rubber), and has elasticity, and therefore the plug is held in contact with the wire, so that the plug supports this wire, thereby preventing the terminal, connected to this wire, from shaking within the terminal receiving chamber (see Patent Literature 1).
Patent Literature 1:JP-A-2001-273953
However, with the use of the plug made 100 percent of rubber, the shaking of the terminal increases with aged deterioration such as contraction of the plug, and besides the liquid intrusion prevention performance is lowered with this aged deterioration.